The Killakee Dower House in Dublin

The Killakee Dower House in Dublin at the foot of the hill that would be known for its dark masses and hauntings, was for a long time affected by it. After the notorious Hellfire Club started to hold their meetings there, dark and mysterious things started to happen.

The origins of Killakee House date back to the late 18th century when it was built as a hunting lodge by the prominent Connolly family. The Connolly’s, known for their connection to Castletown House in County Kildare, created this charming lodge on the estate that would later bear the name Killakee. The grand house was demolished in 1941, but the Dower House is still standing.

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The house itself is a two-story building, perched along the Military Road, offering a view of the surrounding countryside. Over the years, it has played multiple roles, from serving as a dower house to providing a residence for the estate’s manager.

The Sinister Beginnings: The Hellfire Club

The grounds around Killakee House are shrouded in dark history, notably due to the presence of the infamous Hellfire Club. In the mid-1700s, Richard Parsons established this sinister branch of the Hellfire Club, an English-based secret society known for its debauched and often disturbing gatherings.

First, the club rented another hunting lodge on top of the hill, but they would soon find their way into the Dower House as well.

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Here, among the ruins of the Hellfire Club on Montpelier Hill, members partook in activities that included devil worship, ritualistic animal sacrifice, and even witch burnings. One gruesome account tells of the ritualistic killing of a black cat, which was doused in whisky and set ablaze. This eerie connection to the supernatural would later come back to haunt Killakee Dower House.

After the hunting lodge they originally held their meeting in was damaged in a fire they started to hold the meetings at Killakee Dower House. After they left this place, the Dower House was left with a tainted reputation and believed to be haunted.

The Arrival of Margaret and Nicholas O’Brien

In 1968, Margaret and Nicholas O’Brien breathed new life into the dilapidated Dower House, with dreams of transforming it into an arts center. Little did they know that their restoration efforts would awaken something otherworldly.

The Killakee Dower House in Dublin at the foot of the hill that would be known for its dark masses and hauntings, was for a long time affected by it. After the notorious Hellfire Club started to hold their meetings there, dark and mysterious things started to happen. — **The Dowers House:** The House has been called Killakee House Rathfarnham or the Stewards House among other thing and was the place were the Hellfire Club went to when their original meeting place was damaged in a fire.

The workmen began reporting strange occurrences as they were working at Killakee Dower House. Eerie sounds filled the air, and odd happenings became commonplace. But the most unsettling phenomenon was the appearance of a large black cat with piercing red eyes.

The Haunting of the Black Cat

The most notorious apparition associated with Killakee Dower House is undoubtedly the spectral black cat. Witnessed by several individuals, including artist Tom McAssey, this mysterious feline was no ordinary house pet. Described as being as large as a Dalmatian, it emitted an ominous presence.

One night, Tom McAssey confronted the phantom presence outside the front door, believing it to be a prank by one of the workers. However, he soon realized that the figure was not human, and a menacing snarl was followed by the sight of a growling black cat with eerie red eyes. A shadowy figure growled “You cannot see me. You don’t even know who I am”. This terrifying encounter sent McAssey and the other workers fleeing in sheer terror.

The Seance at the Dower House

Beyond the spectral cat, Killakee Dower House harbored deeper mysteries. In October 1969, a group of actors decided to hold a séance within the house, unwittingly reawakening it’s supernatural energies. The disturbances resumed with renewed intensity.

In the following year, an astonishing discovery was made beneath the kitchen floor: the skeleton of a deformed dwarf, or perhaps a child, accompanied by a brass figurine of a demon. Who this person was, no one knows, but rumor was that it was one of the human sacrifices from the time the house was used by the Hellfire Club. The presence of this eerie artifact, along with the skeletal remains, further fueled the belief that malevolent forces had left their mark on Killakee House.

The Power of Exorcism at Killakee Dower House

In an effort to quell the unsettling occurrences, Margaret O’Brien enlisted the help of a priest to perform an exorcism on Killakee Dower House. Although this initial ritual provided some respite, the disturbances returned when a séance was conducted.

Ultimately, it wasn’t until the dwarf’s skeleton and the demonic figurine were properly buried that the hauntings ceased. This marked the end of a chapter of terror in the history of Killakee House.

The Killakee Dower House was used as a restaurant in the 1990s, but closed down in 2001. Today it is merely a private residence, and perhaps also, it is rid of its dark past and lingering ghosts.